On the hunt for a delicious side salad for your next potluck or barbecue? Well, your search is over! This southwest sweet potato black bean salad is exploding with vibrant colors and flavors.
We've combined ingredients like roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy corn, spicy jalapeño, and black beans with a chili lime dressing to create the perfect summer meal. Let's get to it!
Table of Contents
📖 About
Something about potato salad just screams backyard barbecue get togethers. But, the traditional version can leave you feeling a bit heavy since it's usually made with a mayonnaise dressing.
Don't worry though, we've got your back.
If you're looking for a recipe that's lighter on the gut, but still loaded with tasty ingredients, you've come to the right place. We've packed a ton of southwest veggies and other goodies into this recipe, and topped them off with a spicy lime dressing.
Our version of potato salad still has that comfort food feel, but with more health benefits. Plus, it's just friggin' tasty.
And if you're a planner, this salad is great to prep ahead of time for potlucks or picnics since it can be served at room temperature or chilled. It's the perfect counterpart to a loaded veggie burger, or as a meal of its own.
🍲 Key ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: the bright orange color from sweet potatoes gives this recipe a vibrant, summery feel. Plus, they have a natural sweetness, which helps balance out the spiciness. Did you know there is 4 grams of protein and almost 7 grams of fiber in just 1 single cup of this root vegetable? We told you this salad contains tons of nutritious ingredients!
- Black beans: this legume adds the perfect complementary texture to the roasted sweet potatoes. Black beans are super hearty and filling, making them the perfect replacement for meat-based protein. You may be aware this ingredient contains tons of protein and fiber, but did you know it's also a source of selenium? In case you're wondering what the heck this nutrient does, it helps reduce inflammation and rids your body of toxins (sounds pretty important). We could go on about other benefits of eating black beans, but we think that's enough for now.
- Corn: what would summer be without corn? Also known as maize, corn gives this salad a touch of buttery sweetness. Each bite is full of juicy, golden nuggets. And, you may find it interesting to know maize is a native Taino word meaning “sacred mother,” or “giver of life.” Maybe you didn't find that interesting, but now you know anyway.
- Jalapeño: to give this recipe a little kick, we added in jalapeño peppers from our garden! We absolutely love using food grown in our very own backyard (we're very proud plant parents). Feel free to use whatever peppers you like, but we find jalapeños have the perfect spice level and taste to round out this salad.
🔪 Instructions
First, you'll preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cube your sweet potatoes, drizzle with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Then, pop those babies in the oven to roast.
Roast your sweet potatoes for about 25-30 minutes, making sure to turn them halfway. You'll know the potatoes are ready when they look brown on the corners and are just tender inside.
For the dressing, you'll simply mix the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, minced garlic, maple syrup, chili powder, chipotle powder, and sea salt and pepper in a mason jar. Shake the jar until the ingredients are well combined (don't forget to put a lid on).
Next, mix the sweet potatoes, black beans, onion, peppers, corn, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro together in a large bowl. Toss your salad together with the dressing, and that is it! Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
Use lime for more tang, jalapeño for more spice, or maple syrup for some sweet flavor. Serve this salad immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate and enjoy it chilled.
🌡️ Storage
This salad stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. For optimal freshness, store the dressing and salad in separate containers.
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Don't toss old sweet potatoes! Did you know you can still eat them after they sprout? For more information, check out this guide to sprouting sweet potatoes.
- Cook the beans from dry since they're much cheaper
- Green peppers are less expensive than the other colors
- Use half the amount of pumpkin seeds
- Use canola instead of olive oil
🍴 Tasting notes
This is one of our absolute favorite salads to enjoy in the summertime. We hope you love it just as much! It's:
- Sweet
- Spicy
- Hearty
- Tangy
If you try this sweet potato salad, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Southwest Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Small bowl
- Larg mixing bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed ($1.05)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.12)
- 1 ½ cups black beans, cooked ($0.43)
- 1 medium red onion, chopped ($0.24)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped ($0.82)
- ½ large jalapeño, seeded and finely minced ($0.00)
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen ($0.16)
- ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds ($0.48)
- ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped ($0.28)
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil ($0.48)
- 3 tablespoon lime juice ($0.36)
- ½ teaspoon lime zest ($0.00)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup ($0.02)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder ($0.01)
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder ($0.01)
- Sea salt & pepper to taste ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cube sweet potato into ¼-inch chunks and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, toss to coat and spread out in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Roast sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes begin to brown on the corners and are just tender inside. Remove them from oven, and keep on the pan until you're ready to mix the salad dressing in.
- For the dressing, mix the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, minced garlic, maple syrup, chili powder, chipotle powder, and sea salt and pepper to taste in a mason jar. Cover with a lid, and shake until well combined.
- Next, put the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl along with black beans, onion, peppers, corn, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. Toss your salad together with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate before serving for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If you prefer a milder onion taste, you can roast it at the same time as your sweet potatoes.
- We used jalapeño from our garden, which is reflected in the price of this recipe.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty dish ideas, check out our:
- Guacamole and tortilla chips if you want to learn the authentic Mexican way to make guac and chips.
- Zesty jalapeño nacho cheese sauce if you want a dairy-free version of the most cheesy sauce you'll want to cover all your meals with.
- Baked buffalo cauliflower wings for a spicy take on vegan wings cooled off in creamy ranch dip.
- Sweet potato and bean enchiladas if you want to keep up with the Mexican theme but need something more filling.
💬 FAQ
To make this recipe spicier, you can use more jalapeño or leave the seeds in.
This salad can absolutely be prepared in advance! It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. For optimal freshness, keep the dressing separate from the salad until you are ready to eat it.
No, the pumpkin seeds are not necessary in this recipe. However, we do think they add a nice little crunch. If you do omit them, try adding in more corn or bell pepper.
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